By Elyssa Gideon/reporter

Local police officer Brandi Kamper, tactical paramedic, jumped in to save fellow Fort Worth officer Matt Pearce’s life by providing critical first aid after he was shot multiple times while pursuing suspects. 

The local officers will speak about the events of that day in a presentation Nov. 28 on TR Campus. 

“When he got to JPS, he had a 4 percent chance of survival,” said Cindy Mask, TR surgical technology director. “Nobody could have saved his life like her.”

The presentation will also teach students to always be observant as things can change in an instant. “I want it to bring to light what can happen and to be aware of your surroundings,” Mask said. 

Kamper will talk about the time line of events leading up to Pearce’s shooting. Mask said the officers will also go over “see something, say something,” a national campaign started by Homeland Security to engage the public and help protect the U.S. through awareness-building, partnerships and other outreach. 

Mask wants to bring Kamper in as a service for the community and show how she is a local hero. But the surgical technology director also wants people to learn how to be more cognizant of situations going on around them and how to help should a situation go awry. 

“Nothing is more powerful than knowledge,” Mask said. 

Kamper was trained by the military as a combat medic, which helped her learn how to triage in an emergency situation. Kamper said she looks for and treats any massive bleeding first, but the key is to stay calm.

For other tips, Kamper suggests attending a tactical combat casualty care class that are available to civilians to teach someone how to help in a shooting situation by assisting someone to live long enough to make it to the hospital. 

“A huge part of surviving a shooting is the winning mind set, so staying calm is very important,” she said.

Trinity River Speaks: Humans
Fort Worth police officers Brandi Kamper and
Matt Pearce discuss the events of March 15, 2016
12:30-1:30 p.m. Nov. 28 in the Energy Auditorium
(TRTR 4008) on TR Campus.
Contact Hector Menchaca at hector.menchaca@tccd.edu.